Just An Echo
by LKV
Summary: Ahsoka realizes Fives needs a friend after Echo's passing. She lends a shoulder to cry on for her hurting friend. Kind of mushy... Fives and Ahsoka are both slightly ooc, mostly for being more emtional than normal. But You can't write a sad fanfic when the characters are too strong to show emotion, now can you?


Ahsoka's POV Just an Echo  
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I was bored, so I began wandering around the _Resolute_, no real intent. Maybe later I'd meet Rex and some other clones in the mess and we could joke around, but right now, I didn't feel to be in a cheerful mood. So I kept walking.

I felt so bad, we'd lost a great soldier, a great friend today, Echo. Echo was a by-the-book soldier, he knew all the rules by heart, and would often recite them when someone disobeyed one. But buried under that professionalism, Echo was a kind-hearted, friendly guy. I felt even worse for Fives, though. He'd lost his best friend, his brother, his confidant. I hadn't seen Fives since we got back on board the cruiser, so I figured he just needed some alone-time.

I kept walking until I ran into Rex. "Hey, Rex, what's up?" I smiled.

He spun on his heel to face me. "Oh, hey kid, not much, you?" He responded neutrally.

"Just walking around, being bored," I mumbled nonchalantly, "Hey, have you seen Fives?"

Rex furrowed his brow, thinking back. "No, actually, I think he's in his and Echo's quarters… he's pretty shaken." He finished solemnly.

I nodded, I figured so. "Yeah, Echo was a good soldier, and an even better friend," Rex pursed his lips and nodded. "Should someone go talk to him, he could probably use some company."

Rex cocked his head to the side, pondering my suggestion. "Maybe, although I don't think I'm any good at being a 'comforter' though, and I don't think he wants to see another brother for a while, he only wants Echo back." He smiled sympathetically.

"I could go…" I asked meekly, shrugging my shoulders.

Red nodded. "Go ahead. Good luck and I'll see you later, then." He waved slightly, then turned and kept walking.

"'Kay," I called to him, and then walked down to Fives' quarters.

I knocked once. "Fives, are you in there?" There was no reply. "Fives!"

I clicked a button and the door swished open. It was empty. I sighed loudly and began jogging to his next favourite place, the hangar bay. Many clones said hello as I ran the halls. And I replied as quickly as I could, but kept running. I pushed open the large metal doors that led to the hangar bay and walked quietly inside.

"Fives, are you here?" I called out gently.

When no answer came, I closed my eyes and focused. The Force swirled around me, advancing my hearing senses. The roar of motors, the odd sound of boots on metal, and then, ever so quietly, there was a soft weeping noise. I followed it as it became louder and louder. I knew right away it was Fives. His sadness felt like a weight dropped on my head and my heart began to ache painfully for it. Master Skywalker would call it compassion.

"Fives," I whispered tenderly, sitting down beside him. "Fives, are you okay?"

He brought his knees to his chest and rested his face on them. He tucked his arm around himself as to keep himself from falling apart. The sobs he was trying harder to hold in were ripping softly from his chest, his shoulder shaking sadly. I placed a hand on his back.

"Hey, shh… it's okay, shh…" I murmured gently.

"Clones aren't supposed to cry." He stated shakily.

"Right now, you're not a clone, you're a man who just lost his best friend, and you're allowed to cry, okay?" I comforted softly.

Fives pondered my suggestion for a moment, and then nodded slightly. I smiled to him even though his face was hidden in his arms. He removed his face from its hiding spot and looked at me with big, teary eyes. His face was stained with tears and his eyes looked as young as he actually was, not the grown man he appeared to be. My heart broke in two for my friend.

My hand wandered absently to his and I squeezed his fingers amiably. He tensed for a moment, obviously not used to the intimate, friendly touch. But he laced his gloved, white armoured finger into mine and sighed deeply. I used my free hand to rub soothing circles on his shoulder, although I doubt he could feel it through the heavy plastoid armour.

"You know, Fives, you can talk to me." I prompted softly, squeezing his hand again.

Fives was silent for a minute. "Commander,"

I interrupted. "Right now, I'm here as a friend, not your commander. Please, Fives, you can call me Ahsoka."

"Fine, Ahsoka. Anyways, I miss Echo so much, it's like part of me is missing, I feel so numb, so empty, I don't know how to express it, and it's just… horrible. I'll never forget him, Ahsoka." He whimpered softly.

"And nor should you." A voice sounded from behind us.

Rex stood there in his armour. He had his helmet tucked under his arm. So he smiled at Fives reassuringly.

"We need you on bridge; the Seppies have a ship coming out of hyperspace and our scanners indicate it's got boarding vessels. Fives, you're one of our best fighters, we need you." He finished by resting a comforting hand on the ARC trooper's shoulder.

"Yes Sir!" He saluted.

Rex shook his head and laughed. "We could use you, too, up there, Commander."

I nodded. "Sure thing, Captain,"

I reached down with arms crossed and pulled out my emerald light-sabre and my lime Shoto, igniting them with a swift click of a button. The humming buzz of my blades comforted me in a way, I was back in action. Rex grabbed his DC-17s and with a theatrical spin of them, he nodded. Fives looked down.

"My weapons were lost planet-side, sir." He admitted sheepishly.

Rex shook his head, throwing him one of his own blasters. "No problem."

Fives nodded his thanks, and the three of us raced towards the bridge. As we ran through the lower levels of the enormous vessel, a large bang shook the floor. Not one hundred meters from us a large spiraled tip of a boarding ship protruded from the wall. Battle droids poured from the seemingly never-ending ship.

As they began to race forwards, Fives jumped in front of Rex and me and began blasting the droids wildly. "This is for Echo!" He screamed.

I looked to Rex while deflecting a blaster bolt with ease. "Uh… Should we do something?"

Rex merely shook his head. "No, he needs to burn off some of his anger."

I nodded, placing my wandering mind back to the fact there were hundreds of enemies swarming my Master's attack cruiser. I flipped into a graceful somersault and sliced a super battle droid in half. Rex blasted a droid in its 'head' and the light faded from its 'eyes'.

Almost as soon as they were gone, my comlink went off. "Commander Tano, the droids have been exterminated and we are immediately jumping to Hyperspace." Admiral Yularen's voice came.

"Okay, good job Admiral." I thanked him.

I looked to where Rex had been about ten seconds ago, but he was nowhere to be seen. I looked down and saw Fives collapsed on the floor, crying once again. Rex sat beside him, probably talking through their helmet coms. I plopped myself down to beside him and wrapped my arms around him boldly. I removed one arm and gently slid off his helmet, wiping a tear off of his face. Rex looked at me oddly, but I ignored him.

"Fives, it's okay, it's alright, shh…."

Fives looked to me. "Echo wouldn't have gotten so angry."

"But you're not Echo. And I think Echo would've been really angry and sad and upset if it had been you in that explosion. You two cared about each other more than any other person could've comprehended."

Rex agreed. "After a battle, you two would always run around like madmen trying to find each other. It was quite inspirational."

"Just remember. From wherever Echo is now, he's looking down and smiling at you. He's always with you, Fives. Never forget that."


End file.
